Exercise devices have been popular as a way of attaining or maintaining physical fitness and are becoming increasingly so. Such devices are used by individuals working alone and in organized competitive events in schools and colleges. Some exercise devices are used in international Olympic events.
One category of such devices includes gymnastic equipment, e.g., rings, trapeze and the balance beam. As the name suggests, a balance beam is a rail-like structure which presents a long, relatively-narrow top surface to the gymnast's foot. Merely walking on such a surface is, to many, difficult and performing acrobatic maneuvers thereon requires a high degree of skill.
A number of examples of gymnastic balance beams are shown in the patent literature including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,990,697 (Reuther); 4,105,201 (L'Ecuyer et al.); 4,272,073 (Grosser et al.) and 5,037,086 (Strand) and others. An unusual type of balance beam (seemingly not suitable for competition training) is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,654 (Moore) and balance beams having certain non-gymnastic educational features are shown in U.S. Pat. No. Designs 308,698 (Dorman) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,054 (Dorman). The beam of the former Dorman patent helps learn geometric symbols, numerals and alphabet while that of the latter Dorman patent helps learn geometric symbols.
Known balance beams (including those of the above-noted patents) have doubtless been generally satisfactory for their purposes. But in view of the invention, they lack certain features or "enhancements" for employing the balance beam as an easily-used educational tool at the pre-school and elementary and high school levels.
At those levels, teachers often wish to concentrate upon multi-discipline educational opportunities where possible and upon developing reasonably proficient balance beam skills rather than top-notch, highly-competitive skills. And teachers need equipment that is easy to use and transport and that can be adapted to a variety of instructional situations.
As an example of how prior art balance beams are not fully responsive to the aforementioned needs, the Reuther and Strand patents both involve elevated balance beams that, while desirable for an accomplished gymnast, are much too high above the floor for a beginner to safely use. And the balance beams of the Reuther, Strand, Grosser et al. and L'Ecuyer et al. patents are apparently incapable of being easily dismantled or shortened for easy carrying. One need only consider that a non-foldable balance beam is very difficult to transport from place to place.
Yet another disadvantage of conventional balance beams is that they are not well suited for use by more than one person. Group learning situations, e.g., "physical education classes," would be improved by balance beam equipment which can be used simultaneously by two or more persons and which can be used on surfaces which are other than absolutely horizontal and planar. Insofar as is known, there is no balance beam responsive to those needs. Nor are known balance beams instructive in such important pre-school concepts as left- and right-handedness and color including primary colors.
An improved gymnastic apparatus which is suitable for beginning balance beam gymnasts, which affords an opportunity for multi-discipline learning, which is easy to transport, which is configured for use by one or two persons or by one or two groups of persons and which aids instruction in certain pre-school educational concepts would be an important advance in the art.